Drug prices are rising, despite the ban on marketing: monitoring after three months of the pharmaceutical market operating under the new rules

For more than three months, the pharmaceutical market in Ukraine has been operating under new rules, including a ban on marketing agreements between drug manufacturers and pharmacies. The changes were introduced to reduce drug prices, but the reality turned out to be the opposite – the cost of drugs did not change, and in some cases even increased. UNN monitored the prices of popular drugs for diabetics, patients with arterial hypertension and other chronic diagnoses.

The editors compared prices as of February 2025 – before the ban on marketing agreements – and in June 2025. As a result, drugs that were not included in the lists of the Ministry of Health for price reduction, on average, rose in price by 10-20 hryvnias per package. The change in cost most noticeably affected drugs of foreign production.

For example, a popular drug for patients with arterial hypertension – Betaloc (tablets of 50 mg in a package of 30 pieces, manufacturer – AstraZeneca AB, Sweden) – rose in price by an average of 26 hryvnias. Another drug – Glucophage XR (prolonged-release tablets of 1000 mg, 30 pieces in a package – 3 blisters of 10 tablets, manufacturer – Merck Santé, France) – rose in price by approximately 43 hryvnias.

There are other drugs whose price has increased by more than 100 hryvnias. Among them are Corvitin (lyophilizate for solution for injection of 0.5 g, the package contains 5 vials, manufacturer – PJSC SPC “Borshchahivka Chemical and Pharmaceutical Plant”, Ukraine) and Sindzhardi (film-coated tablets, dosage 12.5 mg/1000 mg, package – 6 blisters of 10 pieces each, manufacturer – Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Germany).

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The position that the ban on marketing did not bring the promised effect was recognized even by the Ministry of Health.

A few days ago, the Ministry of Health presented a new draft resolution on marketing for discussion. Instead of a complete ban, it is proposed to establish restrictions on the expenses of drug manufacturers for marketing services. According to the updated document, such expenses cannot exceed 20% of the total volume of sales of over-the-counter drugs (excluding VAT) for the previous year. However, the figure of 20% is only a “beautiful wrapper”, behind which completely different calculations are hidden – in reality, pharmacies will receive only 3.5% of marketing.

Instead of the expected effect from the innovations, patients are faced with an unpleasant reality: many popular drugs that did not get into the list of the Ministry of Health have risen in price in recent months. This is especially painful for those who regularly buy several items of medicines – monthly expenses are increasing, and the promised relief of the wallet has not happened.

A new attempt to regulate the situation – by a resolution with a restriction on marketing to 20% – looks like an attempt to “save face”, but not solve the problem. In reality, pharmacies will receive not 20%, but only 3.5% – and this will not allow them to restore discount programs, social projects and coverage of logistics costs. And therefore, the price issue for the patient remains open as before.